Egypt's hand appears in play behind scenes in Sudan
The head of the Sudanese Transitional Military Council has visited Saudi Arabia, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates, raising questions about Cairo’s role in Sudanese affairs.
CAIRO — Much of the world is wondering who is really running the show in Sudan now that its president of three decades has been ousted. It's certainly not the protesters being crushed by the military as they seek a civilian democracy. Many observers think the real ringmaster behind the military is a tripartite Arab alliance formed by Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt.
With the apparent blessing of that alliance, the military currently seems to be in charge of the chaos. The Transitional Military Council is headed by Lt. Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Burhan. The deputy he appointed to the council is Mohammad Hamdan Dagalo, of Darfur infamy. Under now-ousted President Omar al-Bashir, Dagalo had led the Janjaweed militia accused of committing genocide there.
Burhan has made a flurry of trips recently. Cairo was his first stop after Bashir was toppled April 11. Burhan arrived May 25 in Cairo to meet with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, amid the crackdown on protesters in Sudan.
The visit raised questions about the nature of Egypt's role in Sudan and the support Sisi is offering Burhan.
